The Glee Club, Cardiff
Thurs 3 Mar
words: SARAH HILL
Back in 2001, Richard Herring jokingly compared himself to Jesus. This was during the original run of his Christ On A Bike tour when he was 33 – supposedly the same age as Jesus when he was crucified. Now, 12 years later, he is still fascinated by the concept of religion.
Describing himself as an evangelical atheist, Christ On A Bike:The Second Coming reflects Herring’s continuing attempts to reconcile his own religious conflict. Much of this is done through his justification of his own achievements as he strives to demonstrate that Jesus’ feats weren’t all they were cracked up to be. Yes, Jesus cured 11 lepers, but shouldn’t he have tried to cure more? Herring then goes one step further as he deconstructs parts of the New Testament in order to highlight its inconsistencies. He also impressively recites large chunks off by heart, which is likely to be worth the entrance fee alone.
It would seem that Herring has a penchant for seemingly dense subject matter as his last tour, Hitler’s Moustache, explored the issue of racism. However, anyone who is familiar with his work will know that his comedy is far from heavy. Rather, it is often underpinned by good-natured childlike curiosity. After all, it’s not Jesus that Herring is criticising in his latest show but merely the fanatical “idiots” that follow him; which to Herring, makes Jesus “a bit like the Fonz”.
Tickets: £14. Info: www.glee.co.uk/